The Shadow Games
by ShadowofaHeart
Summary: Will you risk your life to save the one you love? Major twist of the Hunger Games. Roxas' POV. Rated T for gore.
1. Chapter 1

**The Shadow Games**

_**Will you risk your life to save the one you love?**_

I looked around the place that was now known as my home. It wasn't too great. Dark and musty, cobwebs everywhere. The cage links just reminded me what I had gotten myself into. I never should have broken in... oh well, too late now.

I could see, out of the corner of my eye, a few of the Shadows cowering in fright of me in the other kennels. I wondered why. Sure, I was healthier than them, being new, and of course I worked out a bit, but I knew Shadows were powerful when they wanted to be. Then again, I am one now, giving me a big advantage.

Paws were gonna take some time to get used to. Along with my tail, which seemed to have a mind of its own and wanted to knock everything down. My fangs clanged together every time I shut my mouth. Ears on top of my head was unusual for me, and I wasn't quite sure how to move them like the others. Spiky blonde fur covered my body. I was in Wolf-form, all right. And would be for six more hours, due to the transformation.

That morning, I had been wandering near the Shadow kennels, trying to spot my brother... or, what used to be my brother. A small blonde puppy was what he was now. I could tell it was him, though. He would sit in his kennel, which seemed more poorly taken care of than the others in my opinion. His bright sapphire blue eyes would always stare at me, as if asking why I didn't join him, why I didn't help him. Well, I was here now, wasn't I?

I had ended up near one of the Game-Makers Pods, and, for some reason, had broken in to see what it was like inside. I don't know what I'd been thinking, going in. They had caught me, of course. The punishment for trespassing, more like anything, was either immediate death, or Shadow-Transformation. I was 'lucky' enough to have a Shadow-Transformation.

They had brought me to a white room with lots of knobs and whistles, as they say. Transporting pods were everywhere, leading to anywhere in Zarc. A couple Game-Makers were sitting at the computers, a few were watching me carefully, and others were discussing what seemed to be the next Shadow Games. The two guards that were my wonderful 'tour guides' took me down an extremely long hallway lined with Sleeping Pods. Finally, at the end, was a large, white, metal door. They took me in and inside was totally white, like every other room in this place. Smack in the middle of the room was the Transformation Pod. It was huge compared to the others. It was opened up by splitting into sheets of a sort, breaking like an egg in the front. The back stayed put. Inside was empty, save some steam. I guessed they had just cleaned up from the last one. I heard the Transformations are pretty messy. They pushed me into it and closed it. Though transparent from the outside, I couldn't see anything inside. I started floating, and then the stages began.

The first stage had messed with my DNA, changing my human attributes to wolf-like ones. I had felt indescribable pain as my entire composition was changed. Sharp pain, like knives piercing through me, came from everywhere the organs had been replaced, changed, or added. I had screamed, writhed in agony, pleaded for it to stop. They might as well have been deaf. Then came the interchanging stage, which allowed Shadows to change from Human-form, to Wolf-form, and to Dusk-form. It felt like electricity running through every single one of my nerves. I coughed up blood, punched the walls and floor, puked a couple times; my pain never stopping, the nightmare never ending.

After the first two stages, the Pod opened and I literally fell out. I couldn't support my body weight anymore. I was too exhausted from the pain. They did something to my ear as they held me still. Clipped it, maybe. It still stung. Just as I was getting some of my strength back and was standing on my own in Wolf-form, the guy in charge, the top Game-Maker, DiZ, came up to me. I knew who he was from the past Shadow Games I had watched. He wore a white collared shirt, a dark gray vest, a violet ascot, and black pants and shoes, all underneath a periwinkle lab coat. A red sweater or coat of some sort was draped over his shoulders. His hair was blond and worn long and slicked back. He also sported a short mustache and goatee. His eyes were bright orange, like amber. He smiled, which made me want to strangle him even more than I was in my head already. "So, you've come to join your brother," he said.

I growled, which surprised me. The look of shock on my face made him laugh cruelly. He kicked my side, and, because I was still weak from the transformation, I fell to the ground. "Lock him with the others," he told two men, then he left.

They had put a collar and leash on me, which caused them a bit of trouble. I had bit, scratched, done everything I could to not have that on my neck. They eventually got it on though, and they dragged me to the kennels I had stood in front of just hours ago. Literally dragged. I was almost choked to death. Not that they would care.

Every Shadow had a separate kennel, but they were allowed to wander between them. The kennels themselves weren't locked, only the door, since the kennels were inside a huge house. Kennels lined the walls on both sides. The only off-limits place was the puppy area. That was located outside. Due to Shadows previously, out of complete hunger and desperation, eating the puppies and younger Shadows, they had sealed it off.

The men had pushed me in and locked the door to the house quickly from the inside, just in case any other Shadows tried to escape. They didn't; they were too scared to. I don't blame them. But that didn't stop me from jumping at one of the men as soon as the collar was off.

I could still taste blood in my mouth. Blood from the man's neck. His life-blood. And it tasted... _good_. No! No, I wouldn't think like that. Blood is not a human food or drink. Blood is something I will _not_ crave. That didn't mean it didn't taste good- No! Stop that!

I could see them watching me, unsure of what to do. One approached cautiously, but I growled at him, so he quickly retreated. My head hurt, my stomach ached, I felt sick. I'm sure I was bleeding in several places, but what did they care? What did anybody care? I'm just a Shadow now, anyway.

Lying down, I sighed in my prison. No escape. I was as trapped as Ven, maybe even more.

* * *

**(A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Just so you know, the Shadows in this story are different from the ones in LDS, okieday? So you're not confused. ;) R+R!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Shadow Games**

_**Will you risk your life to save the one you love?**_

_"Roxas, I need you to promise me something. No matter what happens, promise me you'll take care of Ventus."_

_ "I will, Dad." My ten-year old eyes looked up at my father. "I promise."_

_ "Don't let him out alone. Always watch him. Keep him safe and fed. And don't __**ever**__ let him become a Shadow."_

_ "Don't worry, Dad. I'll take care of him. He'll be safe."_

_ "Good." He smiled, which was rare, and stood up from his kneeled position on the ground in front of me, though his hands never left my shoulders. My mom entered the room._

_ "Ven's asleep," she told Dad._

_ He nodded at her. "Now, we wait."_

_ Mom hugged me tight, and I could feel tears running down her cheeks. Why was she crying? What was going on?_

_ "What's wrong, Mom?" I asked._

_ She gave me a sad smile. "Roxas... I'm sorry. We needed food..."_

_ My eyes widened. No... They didn't... They wouldn't... "You __**stole**__?" I asked in disbelief._

_ Dad gave a curt nod, then continued staring at the door._

_ "B-But... y-you... w-we... they'll-"_

_ "I'm so sorry, Roxas," Mom said. "I'm sorry..."_

_ "No..."_

_ They pounded on the door. Dad didn't let them in, but he didn't hold them back, either. They burst through the door and seized my parents. One put a gun to my mom's head while two others held Dad still. Their leader noticed me and grinned._

_ "These your parents, kiddo?" he asked._

_ I shuddered a bit. "Yes, sir," I mumbled._

_ "Well, you see, kiddo, your parents stole from the Organization. That is illegal. And because of it, they have to be punished." He turned to the man holding the gun to Mom's head. "Kill her."_

_ Dad lunged forward, but was stopped by the two men. "NO!"_

_ I watched as they pulled back the trigger, and a loud bang filled my ears. I saw her eyes dull as she crumpled to the floor. "MOM!"_

_ The leader laughed and kicked her corpse to me. "Say your goodbyes, kiddo. And let this be a lesson for you. Don't disobey the Organization."_

_ I kneeled down next to her. I searched Mom's lifeless eyes, trying to find some sign that she'd be okay. It was too late. She was gone. Tears ran down my face as I lowered her eyelids. A pool of blood had surrounded us, but I didn't care, just wanting to hold her close. My sight blurred, but I could make out the men taking Dad away._

_ "Wait!" I cried, grabbing the leader's shirt. He turned and looked at me._

_ "What?"_

_ "W-What are you going to do... to him?"_

_ An evil smile returned to his face. "He's going to have a Shadow-Transformation, kiddo. And then I'd suggest you watch the next Shadow Games this month. He might be the star, after all." With that, he left me alone in an empty house, save my mother's corpse and my brother, asleep in his bed._

* * *

I woke up, sweat drenching me, even though I'm sure wolves don't sweat. Panting, I remembered where I was. Tears ran down my cheeks. "Dad... I've failed you... I'm sorry..." He couldn't hear me. That Shadow Games had been my hardest to watch. I'd put Ventus to bed, then watch, panicked, as my father fought for his life. He had made it to the last two, but he couldn't defeat Sephiroth, the other Shadow. I was just starting to think he would survive, that he'd be okay, but my hopes were shattered when I saw Sephiroth grab Dad's neck and bite down. Blood gushed, splattering Dad's and Sephiroth's bodies. I heard a snap, indicating his neck broken. But there had been no Shadow Games winner that year. Sephiroth had committed suicide just minutes later, using his teeth to rip open his stomach. I hadn't been able to watch the rest. It was too much. Dad was dead. I would never see him again. Ever. Not as a human, and not as a Shadow. I had cried myself to sleep that night.

I was about to go back to sleep when the door to the house banged open. A man with muscles the size of Ven burst inside. He had a square chin, straight nose, and sharp cheekbones. His eyes were blue and he had small eyebrows. His hair was auburn and slicked back into rather odd, messy spikes. He wore a gray uniform with white cuffs and a red heart on the chest. Both of the cuffs of his gloves had similar hearts, only blue. I shrunk down, not wanting to be noticed for fear of getting injured even more. In his hand he held an Axe Sword, which made me remember his name: Aeleus, Shadow Trainer. In order to get Shadows ready for the upcoming Shadow Games, he would exercise them and get their strength built up. More strength meant more of a fight, and more of a fight meant more entertainment for the people of Zarc.

His eyes gazed around the kennels, and unfortunately landed on mine. Damn it. He strode over as I lowered myself closer to the floor. Instinct that was more wolf than anything else told me it was submissive to do so.

When he reached my kennel, he sneered, "So, you're the brave Shadow that attacked Dilan? Pathetic. The guy's getting weak, I bet. How could a little thing like you hurt him in any way?"

That sentence brought out another instinct. A stronger one. The killer inside. Blood. I wanted it so bad. **His** blood. I could smell it from where I was, hear it practically hammering in his throat. I wanted revenge. I was not little, I was not pathetic, and I was not planning on taking this crap, at least not without a fight. Not restraining myself, I took a crouched position, showing I was about to pounce. Instead of backing off like I had hoped he would do, he instead laughed.

"You think you can take on me?" he asked, chuckling. "You got guts, kid, but ya might want to control those anger issues of yours."

That's it. I was sick of this. I leapt at the cage, and was surprised to find it locked. I banged against it, scratched it, bit it, trying to get through and attack the man. He was laughing again at my struggle to reach him.

"Do you think I'm an idiot? I locked your kennel last night while you slept, after I heard about Dilan's incident with you."

I growled and backed away from the door. "What do you want?" I spat.

He stared at me a moment, before saying, "If you said something, kid, I didn't understand you. You're in Wolf-form."

Realizing my mistake, I stared at myself, trying to figure out how to change to another form. Shadows had the ability to be in three different forms: Wolf, the one I was in now, Human, where you looked like you did before the transformation, and Dusk, which was more like a werewolf state. Unfortunately, the Shadow-Transformation didn't come with instructions on how to change forms. Aeleus must have seen some sort of confused look on my face.

"Don't know how to change, do ya?"

I shook my head no. He laughed mockingly.

"Just concentrate on doing it. See an image of what you wish to look like in your head, and become it."

I closed my eyes and thought about being a human. I started to feel my paws become hands again, felt my tail and ears disappearing. Human ears replaced the wolf ones. All of a sudden, I felt extremely cold. I opened my eyes to find myself naked in the cell, in Human-form, right in front of Aeleus. I quickly wrapped my hands around my body, trying to hide myself.

He chuckled. "Forget to think of clothes, boy?"

"Y-You can do that?"

"Yes, you idiot. Do the same thing you did to become Human, only _with _clothes this time."

I thought about my normal clothes, not closing my eyes this time. I watched in slight awe as a black, zipped up, high-collared jacket appeared. After that was another jacket, this one unzipped and white, with several black block designs and a gray hem on the end of each sleeve. This jacket's collar was red, pleated, and folded back.

Then came the pants, thank goodness. The legs of my pants were beige, while the rest was black. My shoes were colored in shades of gray and black, and had red straps in place of laces. Finally, my wrist band with a black-and-white checkerboard pattern appeared on my left wrist, a plain black ring on my left index finger, and a plain white ring on my left middle finger. I was dressed.

I ran a hand through my spiky, golden blonde hair. The front concentrated the spikes on the right side of my head as if windswept, and the back was smoother and more flaky. Yep. Myself at last. Kinda. I blinked my bright sapphire blue eyes at Aeleus, who was staring at me, face emotionless.

"Better," he said. "At least now you're presentable."

"I have to do that every time I want to be human?" I asked.

"Sort of. Do it once, then every time you want to be human, which happens faster every time you do it, the clothes come with it. That's what I've heard, anyway."

I sighed, relieved. I just hope no girls saw me like that. "So what do you want?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes at him.

He unlocked the door and grabbed my arm roughly. "Head to the training area. I'll get the others."

I nodded and headed off in the direction he indicated, knowing I was in no position right then to fight him. However, I vowed I would get my revenge.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Shadow Games**

_**Will you risk your life to save the one you love?**_

The Shadow House, as it was called, had a Training Room connected to the Kennels. Through this room you could get outside, though electric fences surrounded the place, of course. That's where I was now, outside, in the blistering sun. I saw hundreds of Shadows in all three forms and shuddered. What would happen now?

Aeleus split us up into groups of fifteen. Everyone in my group was older than me, except for a girl and a boy around my age. The girl had short black hair and azure eyes, and the boy had spiky black hair and amber eyes. They looked like they were related, maybe brother and sister.

I kept my distance from everyone at first. Aeleus gave us practice weapons to train with, explaining things here and there. The weapons were as heavy as the real ones, but they were made of a type of rubber, which meant it wouldn't injure anyone. I was forced to train with a man around twenty. He had a widow's peak, rather small eyebrows, and thick, shoulder-length, bright red hair styled into slicked-back spikes. His eyes were a bright emerald color, and he had a dark purple reverse-teardrop-shaped marking under each eye. He wore a sleeveless orange jacket with a white, sleeveless shirt underneath, and tan, baggy pants with red and white sneakers. He also wore a yellow and brown keffiyeh around his neck. His weapons, I recognized, were Chakrams, while I had a Keyblade. Luckily, my father had taught me how to wield a few weapons in the past, and Keyblades were one of them.

The man grinned at me. "Hey. The name's Axel. Got it memorized?"

"..." I blinked at him. What kind of catchphrase was that?

"...What's your name?" he continued, still trying to be friendly as he held out his hand. Unlike most of the Shadows, he seemed to keep himself clean, which must have been a struggle. He looked like a normal person, and I would have been deceived if it weren't for his eyes. Those green orbs held all of his pain in them, showing through his happy personality. They showed years of struggling to survive in the Shadow House, and I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

Reluctantly, I took his offered hand and shook it. "Roxas," I answered curtly.

Axel laughed. "You're new here, aren't you?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

Shrugging, he twirled one of his Chakrams. "All the newbies act the same. Stay alone and away from other Shadows, don't want to meet anyone, ya know. That stuff. Probably cause you've been told how much of a … _disease_ we are, huh?"

I, quite frankly, didn't have any idea what to say. It was true, really. All my life, I'd been told that Shadows were things to be frowned upon. They were a disgrace, and anyone who became a Shadow was as well. I was told they were repulsive beings that had no intellect, no logical thinking. They only had wolf instinct. I had been taught to stay away from them. I didn't like the idea of hanging around Shadows, forget the fact that I'm now one of them. It made me despise myself.

"I-I... uh..." I trailed off, unsure. Would it offend him if I agreed?

He chuckled. "It's fine, Roxas. I used to be like you, actually. Years ago. So I understand."

I inwardly sighed with relief. "How long have you been here, then?"

"I've been here since I was twelve, so... around eight years or so."

My jaw dropped. _Eight years_?! Of this place? How did he survive? "You've never been called for the games?"

"Well, I-"

"Hey!" Aeleus interrupted, marching over to us. "This is not a social event, you two. Train. Now!"

We nodded, took a battle stance, and attacked each other. I swung for his legs, but he dodged it. He threw a Chakram at me, which I barely managed to block with my Keyblade. We kept up the fight for a while, neither one of us winning, until Aeleus decided to give us a break. While we rested, I repeated my question.

"So have you ever been called to the games?"

He gulped down the rest of the liquid in his small water bottle, then turned to me seriously. For the first time since I had met him, though that hadn't been that long, his lips were turned in a small frown. "Yeah. Once. I was fifteen."

"But... how are you... huh?" Shadows that had defeated the games could go back home, never to be called for the games again. That's the only way he could still be alive. It's a life or death situation; only one Shadow wins, only one Shadow survives.

"When I was called, another Shadow who had befriended me offered to take my place. And apparently they wanted him in the games more than they wanted me, cause they agreed. I owe him my life." Axel shifted his gaze suddenly, choosing to look at the ground instead of me. "I really thought he was going to win..." he muttered.

I swallowed a sudden lump in my throat, forcing images of my father to the back of my mind. I was surprised on how alike we were; both of us had lost someone important to us because of the Shadow Games. I had lost my father, and he, a good friend, willing to give his life for him. We were silent for a bit, until he spoke up again.

"It's strange," he said, smiling sadly. "You remind me of him a lot."

"...What was his name?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.

He was quiet for a moment, probably remembering the past, harsh memories resurfacing as he continued to stare at the ground.

"Cloud," he answered at last, picking at a blade of grass. "His name was Cloud Strife."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Much faster update this time! ^^ Enjoy!**

* * *

**The Shadow Games**

_**Will you risk your life to save the one you love?**_

_"Cloud. His name was Cloud Strife."_

I couldn't sleep that night. Nightmare after nightmare haunted me, images of my mother's and father's deaths flashing through my mind. Dad had died because of Axel. And yet, I wasn't mad at him. Maybe it was because I had befriended the man before he told me, or maybe it was because he obviously felt as guilty as he should have. Even more, probably. So I didn't snap at him.

_"Are... are you sure that was his name?"_

_ "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I know the name of the guy that saved my life. Why?"_

_ "Cause... that's... that was my father's name."_

Axel immediately apologized profusely when he realized that, even went so far as to say he'd give his life for me in return. I declined the offer, though. No reason for more to die because of me. Mom and Dad had, Ven most likely would... I didn't want anymore blood on my hands.

Now that we knew we had a connection, we grew closer. Even though he was a Shadow, I found myself wanting to be his friend, instead of feeling obligated to. I quickly found out about his fire addiction, and the reason why he was a Shadow.

_"I got in trouble with the cops. Apparently, playing with a lighter in the middle of the sidewalk is illegal. I have no idea why."_

_ "You don't... have an issue with it?"_

_ "Sure I do. I've just gotten over it. Trust me, eight years in this place changes your view of things pretty quickly."_

After training, we were free to wander the Kennels. I had gone straight to mine and tried to sleep. It didn't work. Axel visited, tried to start a conversation, but I had basically ignored him. Eventually he went away. I had tried to sleep all day, failing the whole time. Now it was night, and I still couldn't fall into slumber. Sighing, I stood and exited my kennel, trying to not awake the other Shadows. That was the last thing I needed.

I headed for the Training Room, deciding a little practice couldn't hurt. Picking up a Keyblade, I swung it for a bit before getting out some dummies. Dodge, block, slice, retreat. Over and over I repeated the pattern, occasionally changing it up or mixing some magic in.

Shadows were also, when they were transformed, able to collect Mana, which, when enough was gathered, allowed Shadows to use magic in the form of fire, ice, or lightning. There were also some Shadows who concentrated so much on their magic, they obtained the ability to use Aero, an aerial and defense boost, Gravity, which brought things closer together, Stop, a time freezing spell, and Cure, which, obviously, was a healing spell. Even these spells could be upgraded as well, though. The greatest a Shadow could go was Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga, Aeroga, Graviga, Stopaga, and Curaga.

An hour passed, so I finally stopped to take a break. While I was resting, however, a deep voice broke through the silence.

"Not bad. Not bad at all."

I jumped up, searching for the source of the voice. A man cloaked in a black coat, pants, shoes, and gloves came out from near the door, arms crossed. The hood to the coat was up, hiding his face. I raised an eyebrow.

"Who are you?"

The man stopped in front of me and pulled off his hood. He had amber eyes and tanned skin. His silver hair was long, reaching to about the middle of his back, layered, and messy-looking. His bangs were a bit spiked up at the top of his head. He grinned at me. _Creepy..._

"I am Xemnas. And you are Roxas, correct?" he asked.

"Yeah... wait, how do you know my name?" I challenged.

"A friend told me. Axel. In fact, it's because of him that I'm here now."

"Oh really? And why is it that you're here?"

Another creepy grin. "I have come to give you purpose."

"Uh... huh..." I took a step back. "What kind of purpose?"

"You see my outfit? This is the uniform of a secret Shadow league known as Organization XIII."

My curiosity was piqued. "What's this Organization XIII for?"

"We are trying to overcome the hold the government, known to some as the Organization, has on us Shadows. By grouping together we will destroy their chains, and become free. No longer will we be forced to play the games."

"I see. And you want me because...?"

"Your skills with the Keyblade are quite impressive. In time, you will be able to use them for our benefit, should you choose to join. We would equip you with a real Keyblade, and give you the training you need."

It actually sounded promising. True, I didn't want to hang out around a bunch of Shadows, but if this meant I might not enter the games, and Ven could be freed, I was in. "...So I'm guessing there are thirteen of you?"

"Twelve, actually. You would be thirteen, if you wish. I am the leader, number I. Axel, your friend, I presume, is number VIII."

I nodded. Twelve people wasn't impressive, but twelve Shadows with full-on weapons was. "How would I get an outfit?"

"We have our resources. Are you with us?"

I grinned. "Count me in."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or the Hunger Games. I do own Shadows and the idea, though.**

* * *

**The Shadow Games**

_**Will you risk your life to save the one you love?**_

"-ey. Wake up."

"Mrm..."

"Hey. Wake up."

"...Go 'way."

A hand shoved me harshly. I was rolled over, hitting my head on the floor. Pain shot through my skull. Growling, I shot up, still in Wolf-form, and looked around for the intruder ruining the beauty sleep I had barely gotten this week. My animal eyes could easily see Axel in the dark, especially since his hair was such a bright red. Relaxing slightly, though still wary, I grunted, morphed to Human-form, then glared at him.

"What do you want?" I spat a little more harshly than I had meant to.

"It's time," he whispered. My eyes widened. It had been three days since Xemnas had confronted me. I had begun to think he had forgotten about me. Axel had said, though, that he would call a meeting of Organization XIII soon, and make my joining official. Guess that day was today.

I lowered my voice. "Where to?"

Motioning with his head, he signaled for me to follow him. It was well past midnight, so we had to make sure not to wake anyone else up. After we snuck past the others, he led us into the Training Room.

"...This is it?" I asked. Sure, I knew they couldn't do much since, after all, they were trapped, but still...

"Nah. Through this door." He showed me a door I hadn't noticed before, practically camouflaged into the wall.

"We Shadows aren't supposed to know about this room," Axel told me.

"Which is why you use it in the first place?"

"Exactly."

He pushed open the door and I saw a stark white room. The tallest chairs I've ever seen in my entire life were put in a sort-of unfinished circle, stopping at the walkway I now stood on. The walkway stopped right in the middle of the room, which was also the middle of the chair-circle. I counted thirteen chairs, of which only eleven were filled. Every member, as it were, was wearing the large black cloak, black gloves, pants, and black shoes that Xemnas had been wearing yesterday and Axel was wearing now. Their faces were all covered except for the man directly in front of me. Xemnas. For some reason, he seemed more intimidating today. Must have been the tall chair.

Axel cleared his throat. "Superior Xemnas, Number I of Organization XIII, I have brought the boy."

_**Excuse**__ me?! 'The boy'?! What the heck?!_

Xemnas nodded and rolled his hand as an indication to continue.

"His name, as you most likely already know, is Roxas Strife, son of Cloud Strife, whom you may or may not remember or know. I knew the man personally, and he was a great fighter. I'm sure he would've joined this Organization had it existed then. However, he happened to train his son, Roxas. I think he would be a good addition to Organization XIII."

I was guessing the speech was more meant for the entire Organization and not just Xemnas, since I was pretty sure he knew at least half of that information. Still... 'The boy'?!

Silence filled the room. Xemnas stared at me curiously before saying, "Roxas."

I immediately met his gaze. "Yes... sir?" Made me sick to call a Shadow that, leader of this group or not.

"Are you willing to wear the coat? To represent Organization XIII? To fight against the government, the ones who call themselves _the_ Organization? To show that Shadows are not just toys that can be broken at any time, all for entertainment? And to be Number XIII of Organization XIII?"

"Yes, s-sir."

"Very well. You are now known as Number XIII: Roxas Strife." He paused, as if waiting for someone to object. When all remained silent, he continued. "You wield a Keyblade, correct?"

"C-Correct."

"You need a title." He looked around the room, then back at me again. "...Keyblade... Blade... Of the Key... Key... The Key... The Key..of what? Horror... Mystery... no..." Suddenly his eyes lit up, as if inspiration had hit him. "Destiny. Yes, that's it... The Key of Destiny."

I raised an eyebrow. "Umm...Thank you, sir...? I'm... uh... honored." The Key of Destiny? What kind of title was that? Sounded like something off of that kid show with rainbow-colored monsters on it.

"Axel. You must train him and teach him. Strengthen his Keyblade skills. If he is not ready in time, you _will_ be held responsible."

Axel grinned. "Will do, Superior. I'll show him the ropes, no problem. He'll be one of us in no time."

"That's what I'm afraid of..." Xemnas mumbled under his breath. "You are dismissed," he told us.

"I know you have potential, Roxas. Just follow my lead, and you'll be fine," Axel said as we left.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Shadow Games**

Will you risk your life to save the one you love?

_ "_C'mon, Roxas! You havta use your weapon! Own it! Like... THIS!" Axel threw his Chakrams at me, causing me to dodge barely in time. The blazing red Chakrams left a trail of fire behind them as they swerved back to their owner. He grabbed them out of the air and twirled them, not at all affected by their heat. I gripped the handle of my Keyblade tighter. Training like this was the usual, and not easy. Though it had only been a week since I had entered Organization XIII, I still had to train as hard and as long as everyone else... maybe even more, since I had to learn new tactics. Axel was a very strong opponent, and I had yet to beat him. At least today I wasn't burned... for now.

"I'm trying, Axel! You have two and you can throw them! It's harder for me!" Axel was about to throw them again when he paused.

"...I haven't taught you Strike Raid yet, have I?"

"What's that?"

"Thought so. Okay, Roxas, this is gonna be a bit hard to teach, since you have a Keyblade, not Chakrams, but I'll do what I can." He dismissed his weapons and walked over to me. "What I need you to do is- Wait, let me go get a dummy. This could hurt."

Once he got the dummy and set it up, he came back to me. "Now, Roxas, pull back your arm... No, no, your other arm! The one with the Keyblade in it! Yeesh. Okay, aim at the dummy, and … throw!"

I threw it as hard as I could, just to have it fall to the ground a few feet away from me.

Obviously trying not to laugh, he said, "Alright, not a bad first try. Try putting a lot of spin on it, so it rotates while it hits. And jumping might help, to get more … ehem … height," he snickered.

Ignoring his comment about my size, I pulled back my arm again, jumped as high as I could, aimed, and slung it, making sure to flick my wrist so it spun. To my surprise and amazement, it flew through the air, sliced the dummy through, then started coming back to me.

"And to catch it, Roxas, just grab it," Axel added.

The blade seemed to come straight for my hand, which I now held open. I felt the handle enter my grasp and I closed my hand around it. It was going a bit fast, so my arm flung back a little as I caught it.

"Good going, Roxas! Now try doing it as a Combo."

"Do I have to jump?"

"Not all the time, shrimp."

I glared at him before slinging the Keyblade at another target. And another, and another. Over and over and over, not stopping until I ran out of targets. Wiping the sweat off my brow, I turned and saw Axel slowly clapping.

"Alright, Roxas! Fight, fight, fight!"

I grinned, feeling a little heat rise on my cheeks in embarrassment. "Thanks, Axel."

"Ya wanna call it a day?"

I opened my mouth, but wasn't able to respond because I was interrupted. "Numbers VIII and XIII. There is a meeting being called by the Superior. Now."

We saw Number II, Saïx, come up to us, glaring as always. He was in Human-form, like us. He had long, frayed blue hair framing his face, though slicked back in wild spikes at the top. Behind, it reached down to his mid-back and was cut slightly neater. A distinctive trait of Saïx's was the X-shaped scar between his amber eyes that extended to about halfway up his forehead in one direction and to just under his eyes in the other. He wore Organization XIII's outfit (the black cloak, gloves, shoes, and pants deal), and a single studded earring on each pointed ear.

Axel rolled his eyes. "Fine, Saïx. We're coming. C'mon, Roxas!" I followed the redhead into the meeting room, which was known as the Round Room (creative, right?). Everyone but Xemnas, Axel, Saïx, and I was in their seats, hoods up. Saïx and Axel pulled their hoods up as well, but I left mine down. I preferred it that way. I pressed the button that lowers the seats to normal level, sat down, then pressed the button again to go up (What, you thought we flew?). Axel and Saïx did the same thing. Soon Xemnas joined us. We waited for a bit in silence before Xemnas finally spoke.

"Good tidings, friends. Today is a momentous day. I am pleased to announce that a new comrade has been chosen to wear the coat." He smiled a creepy smile and nodded. The door opened and a figure in Organization XIII's outfit walked into the room, straight up to Xemnas, just like I had a week ago. The figure had an outfit similar to Larxene's, the only girl in Organization XIII so far, so I could tell she was a girl, even with her hood covering her face. Though I was a bit jealous that she had gotten the cloak before me.

"Number XIV," Xemnas continued. The figure looked up. Even though I couldn't see her face because of her hood, she seemed pretty cool, and around my age. For that I was grateful, since I was the youngest member so far, every one else being in their twenties or so (not including Xemnas, who looked old enough to be my dad's grandfather). "Let us all welcome one of the Keyblade's chosen." Wait, she could wield a Keyblade too?! That's awesome! We could work together! Train together! We could-

My thoughts were cut off when I got distracted. The figure looked at me, or at least I think she did, and gave a small smile. I started, my eyes widening and I took small, sharp intake of air in surprise. She smiled at me... I suddenly had this strange feeling in my chest as my heartbeat accelerated. I wanted to see her face. I wanted to see her eyes. And I vowed I would.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Shadow Games**

_**Will you risk your life to save the one you love?**_

Training got more intense as the days passed, for the Shadow Games were only a few weeks away. The Game-Makers wanted us to be our best for the games. They showed us many weapons, describing their strengths and weaknesses and how to use them, from Gunblades to Keyblades to even Sitars – which I had only seen one person use. I taught myself to wield two Keyblades instead of one during the training. Axel and I also continued our Organization XIII training, in which I learned new attacks, magic, and survival skills.

"You've got to accept the wolf, Roxas," Axel once told me. He pointed to my chest. "There's now a part of you that knows what to do in certain situations. You have to listen to it. You have to listen to _yourself_. If you don't, your inner struggle will be your destruction."

I had tried to listen to him, but it was difficult. The wolf part of me wasn't... savage, per say, but it was obviously not as civilized as I tried to be. There were times it called for blood, but I knew I couldn't do that. I had to figure out a way to make both my wolf side and my human side work together.

I hadn't seen Number XIV since her arrival, though I didn't know what she looked like anyway. Axel said I'd see her soon enough, since we both wield Keyblades. I wondered what she looked like under her hood...

Today's training was on Combo Attacks, a skill I had already learned from Axel. Basically, it was getting three attacks in a row without getting hit in turn. That made opponents weaker, and made the battle go by faster. I usually got Combos with Upper Slash, Horizontal Slash, then a Downwards Slash. Aeleus paired us up in groups of two, and we were left to practice with our rubber weapons.

I was paired with a boy around my age named Sora. He had spiky brown hair and blue eyes, and wore a red and black jumpsuit, with a matching small jacket and huge shoes. He too could wield two Keyblades, though he was a little slower than me. Sora was a bit too happy for my liking. He was one of those glass-half-full type of guys, while I was more of a glass-almost-empty type of person. Either way, he was a good opponent, and quickly taught me that I needed to practice against other Keybladers more often. His Combo Attack, I learned, was two Upper Slashes and then a Horizontal Slash, which usually sent enemies flying through the air, open to his Aerial attacks. However, his attack – and all Combos, for that matter – was useless if it was interrupted.

"You're pretty good, Roxas," he said during a break. "You been practicing?"

I nodded. "If I get called for the games, I want to put on a fight they'll never forget."

Sora laughed, slapping me on the back. "Trust me, you'll do fine. It'd take a miracle for them to forget you." He grinned and gave me a thumbs-up.

"Where'd you learn your skills?" I asked him. As far as I knew, he wasn't in Organization XIII, so he couldn't have been training there.

Sora looked away, taking a gulp of water as he suddenly grew quiet. "...There are still some things you don't know about this place, Roxas. We Shadows... we've got secrets even other Shadows can't know. And it gets dangerous if you continue to ask questions." He frowned, his face turning thoughtful. "...We can't trust everyone."

"I take it you did once, and it wasn't pretty." I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded. "Yeah. I'll regret it the rest of my life." Sora met my gaze, his eyes haunting, as if he carried the burden of a thousand men on his shoulders. "They've got something – no, someone – against me. And I really can't risk anything, now."

"I understand." I stood up and stretched, not liking the atmosphere. "If you need someone though, I'm here."

Normally, I wouldn't offer myself to a boy I had only met today, but Sora was an exception. I felt like we... connected, somehow. He was holding a lot inside of him, and I knew how that felt. Even though I didn't trust others that often, I was willing to give him a chance.

Sora smiled gratefully at me. "Thanks, man." A lone tear streaked down his face, even as he smiled. "...Thanks."

* * *

"Hey, Roxas!" Axel called when I entered Organization XIII's training room. "Over here!" He wore his cloak for our training, as did I. As I approached him, I noticed someone else standing next to him, also wearing the cloak, the hood covering his or her face.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Meet Xion, Number XIV!" He shoved the person next to him into me, knocking us over as he grinned widely. "Xemnas says you have to teach the rookie, so see ya!" The redhead all but flew out the door, laughing maniacally.

Number X- I mean Xion, got off of me quickly, then offered me her hand. I gratefully took it, and she helped me off the floor. I brushed off imaginary dirt with my free hand, not noticing for a while that I still held her hand. When I did, I pulled my hand back immediately, feeling heat rush to my cheeks from embarrassment. My bare fingers tingled, and for a moment I wanted to grab her hand again.

Shaking my head to rid myself of the weird thoughts, I smiled sheepishly at her. "S-Sorry about that, Xion."

She gave me a small smile and nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Don't talk much, huh?"

"..."

I shrugged, then pulled out a practice dummy and two Keyblades, throwing one to her. "You know how to use one of these, right?"

She nodded again, her smile growing bigger. I grinned back at her.

"Then let's see what you've got..."


End file.
